Berkmar’s boys basketball team is about where most expected it would be in late January – 14-4 and ranked No. 3 in Class 3A.
Berkmar was the Class 7A runner-up to Milton last year and returned perhaps its three best players – 6-10 center Malique Ewin, 6-4 shooting guard Jermahri Hill and 6-2 point guard Jameel Rideout. All now are seniors.
The Patriots are still playing the kind of defense that carried them in 2021. They are 13-0 when holding opponents to 70 points or less. They allowed only 49.8 points per game against five state-playoff opponents last season.
“We want to defend first,’’ Phillips said. “I don’t know a team out there that could win a state title that doesn’t focus on defense. Defense is always going to be our thing.’’
Berkmar’s most visible player again is Ewin, a top-100 national prospect committed to Ole Miss. Averaging 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, Ewin is the top big man in the state, but he’s not a one-dimensional post player.
“Obviously he’s a very special player because of how versatile he is,’’ Phillips said. “He can go inside. He can handle the ball. That makes him tough to guard every night.’’
Ewin is the consensus No. 3 senior prospect in the state, and Hill right behind him at No. 4. Hill’s specialty is getting to the rim, but his shot has improved this season after foregoing football. That protected his body and gave him more time to work on his shot, Phillips said.
Rideout is the point guard. He’s had mid-major interest so far.
“People look at the other two and say those are our best players, but Jameel makes us go,’’ Phillips said. “He’s capable being a volume scorer. He defends the other team’s best player sometimes. He doesn’t get the accolades some guys do, but he’s probably our most valuable player in terms of what we do and what we can’t do without him.’”
Berkmar picked up a transfer from Virginia, Bryce Blaine, a 6-5 guard with a scorer’s mentality. “When we need a bucket, he’s capable of getting it on his on,’’ Phillips said. “We struggled with that last year. He makes us tougher to guard.’’
Tyriq Giddens, a 6-0 guard, is a four-year player and defensive catalyst who holds the other starting position. The Patriots are temporarily missing two key pieces, Ahmed Sumahoro (injury) and Bo Harris (personal reasons), who will be needed to provide the depth that a state tournament demands.
The region likely will come down to Berkmar and arch rival Nocross. Berkmar has beaten the Blue Devils twice, including 54-52 earlier this week. That was the most significant win of the season given that it came on the road and followed a weekend trip to Illinois, where Berkmar beat teams from Texas and Missouri. Berkmar has traveled more than usual this season, also playing in Florida, Tennessee and Washington, D.C.
Phillips, in his 13th season at Berkmar, figures the Patriots are set up to make a similar run this season if they are healthy and fortunate. The runner-up finish last year was the program’s best showing since the 2001 state title.
“I think it’s very similar to last year with your top five, six teams,’’ Phillips said. “A lot will come down to how the region tournament and setting yourself up to host games and play a team at your place in the elite eight. Then you have to be physically healthy and have a little luck. We had that last year. In previous years, we haven’t.”
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